Conventionally, a connection initiated between two subscribers of a communications network, both subscribers are each called separately by a special terminal located outside the communications network, for example a computer as an automatic operator. As soon as there is a connection with both subscribers and the special terminal, the working signals and the control signals for possible service recognitions are then transferred from one connection to the other through this terminal. Such a switching method is used in telephone networks in call centers. A disadvantage is the relatively complicated implementation and the required high performance capacity of the terminal that establishes the connection.
Such switching of a connection is of particular interest in telephone networks for the “click to dial” (CtD) function from the Internet. “Click to dial” is understood to mean an Internet feature with which it is possible for a Web surfer to initiate a telephone connection between two subscribers (terminals) by means of a mouse click. Normally, one subscriber is the Web surfer himself/herself, and the other subscriber can be any other subscriber, but preferably an employee of the consulting or service team of a product or service provider on the Internet.
In this connection, the “click to dial,” which is provided, for example, by placing a corresponding pushbutton on the website of a provider, represents a rather significant competitive advantage by offering quick and easy access to a competent telephone consultant, in order to answer detailed customer questions. In a conventional method of establishing a connection, an origin switching center, a target switching center, and possibly several transit switching centers are involved at first. In the case of a “click to dial” call, on the other hand, there are no origin switching centers. Instead, two connections that are independent of one another are established, at first, and subsequently switched together.
If this function is implemented similarly to the switching of calls in call centers, two connections must be initiated by a controller that functions as a terminal of the communications network, and as soon as both connections have been established, the controller must forward the working data (the digitized voice data or other data to be transmitted) of the one connection via the other, and vice versa.
For this purpose, there are already various solutions: for example, to implement the “click to dial” feature, a corresponding hardware loop was provided in the Elektronisches Wählsystem Digital (EWSD) [electronic dialing system, digital] from Siemens, which is described in DE 199 46 658 A1, to support this functionality. There, in a communications network with a central signal channel independent of the working data channels, two inputs for transmission segments at a transit switching center are connected by means of a data line. A control device issues a control signal on the central signal channel, causing a connection to be relayed from the one input to the first subscriber and from the second input to the second subscriber. The terminal signals of the connections to the subscribers are transmitted reciprocally.
Such solutions were also implemented in connection with other hardware components (e.g., EWSD V14-LM 40166 or SURPASS Open Service Platform by means of ISL and IN-CPH).
However, these solution approaches are aimed at initiating the required establishment of the connection in EWSD by means of ISUP signaling (ISDN User Part signaling), as well as controlling the voice path through connection within EWSD. In every case, this means increased development and implementation effort and expense for additional hardware components that would have to be retrofitted into existing communications hardware or would have to replace such hardware. However, this would require the network operator to make significant investments.